Adobe begins to kill Flash, renames developer software to Animate

Adobe has announced it is renaming its Flash Professional software used to produce Flash content to Animate CC. The change reflects the steady decline in usage of Flash and the rise of technologies like HTML5, already supported by the program.

Adobe launched its Flash Professional Software nearly two decades ago. The program has since been used to give life to the pages of hundreds of thousands of websites. However, the rapid decline of Flash and adoption of HTML5 in its place means its name no longer suits the content it creates.

Flash Professional can be used for creating more than just Flash animations. It also supports open web standards including HTML5, SVG and WebGL. With more websites now using these technologies where Flash would have once been the de facto solution, Adobe announced recently it is renaming Flash Professional to Animate CC.

The name is a recognition of the many different ways in which moving content can be displayed online. Flash Professional will transform into Animate CC with the next release of Adobe Creative Cloud in early 2016. Adobe says the move will "more accurately represent [Flash Professional's] position as the premier animation tool for the web and beyond."

The update will also add several new features including instant access to millions of photos and illustrations in the Adobe Stock library, the option to export 4K video and expanded editing tools such as vector art brushes and refined audio syncing. Adobe says the release of Animate CC will represent a "new era" for its portfolio of media creation products.

Adobe isn't dropping support for Flash and Animate CC will still support the format as a "first-class citizen." It's clear the technology's days are numbered though as several major websites including YouTube and Twitch have moved away from it in recent months. Google Chrome now blocks the Flash plugin by default.

The steady stream of zero-day exploits found in Adobe's browser plugins has led some notable companies to publicly warn others they should stop using the software wherever possible. HTML5 is a specification that works seamlessly across browsers and is capable of producing the content that Flash was once renowned for, increasing performance and eliminating the risk of exploit through an insecure plugin.

The rebranding of Flash Professional can be interpreted as yet another sign that the technology is on borrowed time but that isn't to say it is gone yet. A recent report found Flash is still used on 15.6 percent of the top 1,000 websites. Although many plan to move away in the next year, many popular services will require you to keep Flash Player installed on your PC for some time to come.